By Erika Lipsett | Kelowna Now
The days are longer, the temperatures are rising and the sun is working its way through the clouds. The sun can be our saviour, our best friend or our worst enemy, but if there’s one thing we can recognize, there’s no escaping it. We’ve all heard the warnings to wear sunscreen, stay out of the sun and cover up, but do you really know how the sun can affect your health?
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The good
Spending time in the sun can be just what your body craves. It makes you feel awake, alert, and in moderation, the sun can be super beneficial for your mental and physical health.
Mood booster
It’s no secret that the sun can instantly change your mood. Whether it’s the warmth or the bright light waking you up, the sun helps release serotonin in your body, and increases the levels of physical activity and overall happiness. Both sunlight and darkness can affect the release of hormones in your brain, and the release of serotonin is increased when it’s light out. A higher release of serotonin boosts your mood and energy levels. Not only does it boost your mood, but it also helps fight off Seasonal Affective Disorder. The winter blues start to lift and your frame of mind becomes more positive, leading to an increase in energy, interest in daily activities, and an improvement in your overall attitude and mental health.
Stress reliever
During the winter months, most of us tend to spend all of our time indoors. It becomes easy to let the stress of the day get to us and we can have a hard time finding a way to release the burdens we may be struggling with. When it’s sunny out, we feel more leeway to take a minute, let ourselves breathe and destress out in the fresh air. The warmth and brightness of the sun can help us take a break from our surroundings and provides a new outlook and frame of mind. In addition to this, you have more energy, which helps you burn off steam and improve your ability to sleep!
Beneficial for skin
A little vitamin D can help certain people see a positive reaction to an existing skin condition such as psoriasis, eczema, jaundice and acne, but only if they’re wise about time in the sun. Unfortunately, as magical as it is, the sun won’t cure a skin condition, but it can help improve one!
The bad
Although there are many great reasons why the sun can benefit your overall health, even this should come in moderation. If you aren’t careful to take the proper steps to protect yourself, the effects can stay with you forever.
Sun burns
Remember that pesky lotion your mom used to load you up with when you were little? There’s a reason she did that. Besides looking like a lobster you can develop potential flu like symptoms, as well as that annoying peeling. Believe it or not, we’re not bulletproof or sun proof. Yes, it’s inevitable that we age, but the sun increases your chances of developing wrinkles, pigmentation, reduction of skin elasticity and degradation of skin texture. The sun contributes to 90% of visible changes when recognizing these premature aging traits.
The ugly
Melanoma
A form of skin cancer, melanoma is 90% linked to exposure to UV rays. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, melanoma is “a malignant tumour that starts in melanocytes. Melanocytes are a type of cell that make melanin, which is the pigment that gives your skin and eyes their colour.” Remember those skin cells you damaged from your sun burn? Well a cancerous melanoma can develop when these damaged cells trigger mutations caused by UV rays and sunshine. Basically, too much time in the sun without protection can lead to skin damage, which can put you at a higher risk of developing skin cancer.
Give your skin a little extra loving this summer and be sure to protect it as much as you can!
By Erika Lipsett | KelownaNow| Posted Jun 5, 2017
NB: This article may have been edited and/or condensed. The information contained is as of date of publication and may be subject to change. These articles are intended as general information only.
